Rail retaining key



June 14,1932. R. FARlEs ET AL 1,863,197

RAIL RETAINING KEY i Filed Nov. 11, 1931 FCvY- ZL K 2.9\ l y 6 lfwfl J# Zig y 3*# 5 1117; 6

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Ro ez'Z-FaP/es a Patented June 14, 1932 l UNITED STATES ,Pari-:Nr OFFICE ROBERT FABIES, F ST. DAVIDE, AND CHARLES D. YOUNG, 0F HA'VEBFOBD, PNN- SYL'VANIA nan. BETAINING xnY application sied november 11, 19:11. serial No. 574,316.

Our invention relates to rail retaining Fig. IVrepresents an enlarged bottom view keys and more particularly to a resilient key of a portion of the tie plate, showin the man- ,designed for use in combination with a rail ner in which a retaining key is loc ed thereand a special form of tie'plate as a means for in. v

either limiting or resisting vertical move- There is shown in the drawing a portion of 50 ment between the latter elements. In using a rail 1 of standard form having a base or the term tie plate herein, we means to inflange 2 resting upon a tie plate 3. The plate clude any type of plate or foundation upon 3 is in turn secured to an underlying tie 4 by which the base of a rail is adapted to rest or screw spikes 5 of conventional form, the

1o to be secured. heads of which bear upon flat bosses 6. u

One object of the invention is to provide However, the particular means for fastena-retaining key which when used in combinaing the tie plate 3 to the underlying tie 4 does tion with a particular form of tie plate will not constitute a partof our invention, and enable rails to be quickly and readi y assemmay obviously be varied to suit diierent conbled upon the tie plates and to be removed ditions. w withequal facility. Another object of the The tie plate 3 is formed with upstanding invention is to provide railV retaining keys ribs 7, between which the rail base 2 is aac-- and tie plates which are of simple andvinexcommodated, and/which serve as stops prepensive manufacture, and yet which, when venting lateral movement of the rail. Adv used in association with each other accordjacent to the upstandin ribs 7 a slot 8 is w ing to the practice of the invention effectively formed at each side of t e tie plate 3. The 'serve to limit or resist vertical movement ci slot 8 is rectangular in shape at the top surthe rails to which they are applied. Still anface of the tie plate, as indicated at 9, and the other object of the invention is to take adwalls of the slots are oliset to aiiord shoulvantage of the inherent resiliency of a rail ders, as indicated at 10, at the base of the 70` retaining key in causing the same to become slots. Beneath the shoulder 10 each slot is locked or caught upon a tie plate in a manexpanded to arcuate form, as indicated at 11 ner such as to prevent dislodgment incident in Fig. IV. Within the rear wall 12 of to service in track. each slot, a semi-circular recess 13 is formed,

Further objects and advantages characterthe recess preferably extendin from the top 75 istic of our invention will become more apof the plate to the base thereo parent from the description hereinafter of The rail retaining keys 14, 14a are made an embodiment or example thereof, the defrom a flat bar of resilient material and of 'scription havin reference to the accompanyuniform thickness, and are sharply bent aty in drawing. f the drawing: their end portions 15 to form horizontal legs so ig. I re resents a lan view of a rail, a 16, which are adapted to engage the tie plate tie plate an retaining eys of our invention, 3 beneath the shoulders 10. The other end' the rail being in horizontal section to show portions 17, 17a of the retaining keys 14, 14a, the arts more clearly. when the keys are assembled, proJect above 40 Fig. II represents a vertical cross-section the rail base 2, either in contact with the rail a5 of the same, taken as indicated by the lines base, as shown at the left hand of Fig. II, to

II--II of Fig. I. resist vertical movement of the rail with re- Fig. III represents a longitudinal section spect to the tie plate 8, or clear of the rail of a portion of the tie plate, taken as indibase and resting on a rib 7, as shown at the cated by the lines III-#III of Fig. I; and, right hand of Fig. II, to serve as a stop limit- 90 ing vertical movement of the i'ail to a predetermined distance. While for the purpose of illustrating alternative arrangements, the key 14 shown at the right hand of the figure is formed to assume one position with relation to the rail, whereas the key 14a shown at the left hand is formed to assume a different position, it will be understood that in the Ordinar practice of the invention, the same conditlon will exist at both sides of the rail.

To apply a retaining key, considering for example the key 14 shown at the right hand of the drawing, to a tie plate 3, the key is inserted within the slot 8 with its end ortions 15, 17 extending in a longitudinal direction, as indicated by the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. I. In this osition, the leg 16 at the end' 15 of the key ts within the rectangular opening 9 at the top of the slot 8, permitting the key to drop downward until the leg 16 engages or approaches the top of the tie 4 at the underside of the tie plate 3. Thereupon the spring key 14 is turned through an angle of 90 until it assumes the position shown in full lines.' Incident to the turning of the key 14, the bent leg 16 is engaged beneath lthe shoulder 10. When the key 14 has reached its ultimate position transverse to the rail 1, a projection 18 at the back ot the key catches within the recess 13, as shown in Fig. IV, and opposesfurther turning of the key. At the same time, the end portion 17 of the retaining key14 bears upon the rib 7 with pressure engagement and projects above the rail base 2, the key being offset at 19, whereb the end portion' 17 is at a predetermine clearance from the rail base.

The manner of applying the key 14a, shown at the left hand of Figs. I and II, is similar to that described above, except that its inner end portion 17a is maintained in pressure engagement with the rail base 2, and thte7retaining key is out of contact with the r1 When so applied to the tie plate 3, the retaining keys 14,14a will not be dislodged incident to the normal vibration or movement of the rail, for the forcesexerted thereby, and which tend primarily to lift the ends 17, 17 a of the keys, rather than to turn the same, are adequately resisted by the locking engagement of the projections 18 within the recesses 13 a-t the rear walls 12 of the slots 8. To remove the retaining key 14, 14a, it is merel necessary to strike the key with a blow tenti ing to free the projection 18 from its recess 13, and thereafter to turn the key to a position parallel to the rail 1 and to raise it clear of the tie plate 3.

From the above description it will be noted f that the retaining keys and tie plates4 of this invention are of simple and inexpensive manufacture and are readily assembled and disassembled. Under certain conditions it ma be desirable to a, ply the retaining keys wit their inner en s in ressure engagement with the rails, in which casethey operate as rail fasteners, preventing or resisting any movement between the rails and tie lates, and under other conditions it ma be ound desirable to utilize the retaining eys as stops, not in actual contact with a ra1l, but limit-in the extent of its vertical movement. Whi we have described one example of the practice of our invention, with reference to a particular form of retaining key and tie` plate, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the shape of these parts as herein described', without departing rom the spirit of our invention whic contemplates a varietyof forms for-these parts.

Having thusldescribed our invention, we claim:

1. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having a slot therethrough, the Walls of said slot being offset to aiord a shoulder at the base thereof, and a resilient retaining key having a bent endportion adapted to be passed through said slot and then turned to engage the tie plate beneath said shoulder and having the other end portion projecting above the base of the rail. Y

2. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having a slot therethrough,.the walls of said slot being olfset to afford a shoulder at the base thereof, and said walls having a recess therein, and a resilient retaining keyhaving a bent end portion with a projection thereon, said end portion being adapted to be passed through said slot and then turned to engage the tie plate beneath said shoulder with said rejection catching in said recess, and having the other end portion projecting above the base of the rai 3. In combinatiom-a rail, a tie plate having a slot therethrough, the walls of said slot being offset to afford a shoulder at the base thereof, and a resilient retaining key having a sharply bent end the tie plate beneath said s oulder and having the other end portion projecting transversely above the base of the rail, said slot being so formed as to require the key to be .inserted at an angle from said transverse position and then turned to said position.`

4. In combination, a rail a tie late having a slot therethrou h, the wal s of said slot being oiset to a ord a shoulder at the base thereof, and a resilient retaining key having a sharply bent end portion adapted to be passed throu h said slot and turned therein to engage t e tie plate beneath said shoulder and having the other end portion in pressure engagement with the rail base.

5. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having a rib thereon and a slot therethrough ad- 'acent to said rib, the walls of said slot being offset to aord a shoulder at the base thereof, and a resilient retaining key having portion engaging 

